In these days, as vehicles like automobiles and recreational vehicles are increasingly popularized, they become a necessity in the modern society, and thus, they are designed wherein a variety of facilities are provided to make passengers feel comfortable as if they are home.
Therefore, such the facilities are recently considered as an important factor in determining the kinds of vehicles.
One of various kinds of facilities is, for example, a cool-box that is adapted to cool the articles stored therein.
The cool-box is a very small-sized refrigerator that is mounted in the interior of a vehicle, while having the same operational principles, shape, and function as the existing refrigerators as appliances.
Since the conventional cool-box has the same system as the existing general refrigerators, it includes a power supply device, a compressor, a fan, and a driving device like a motor for activating them, such that the structure becomes complicated and the degree of space utility is low at the restricted inside of the vehicle.
That is to say, the conventional cool-box can be mounted, as shown in FIG. 13, in a glove box G in front of an assistant' seat, in a console box C positioned between the front seats, or in an arm-rest A positioned between the rear seats.
However, the glove box G in front of the assistant' seat and the console box C between the front seats are designed to contain articles (e.g., maps, a registration card, and so on) and safety devices necessary for driving therein, and thus, if the cool-box is additionally provided therein, the glove box G and the console box C should have the internal space enlarged more than before.
On the other hand, the cool-box is just a facility for providing many conveniences in use in the vehicle, irrespective of the vehicle' driving, and therefore, to assist the safe driving of the vehicle, it is desirably mounted in the arm-rest A positioned between the rear seats. One example is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Laid-Open-Publication No. 1998-39565 wherein the arm-rest has an icebox contained therein.
Referring to FIG. 14, an explanation on the prior art will be given below.
As shown, an air supply duct 40 is connected to a blast pipe P of an air conditioning system S in such a manner as to receive air that is passed through a blower motor B and an evaporator A of the air conditioning system S. The air supply duct 40 is provided with an adjusting valve 41 for adjusting the supply of air.
Further, the adjusting valve 41 is connected to a switch 42 for opening/closing it. And, the air supply duct 40 is connected at the end portion thereof to injection holes 43.
The injection holes 43 are formed at the inside of the arm-rest of a cabinet shape with a cover mounted on.
According to the conventional structure, the air conditioner of the vehicle is activated to discharge cool air through the injection holes, such that the drink bottles stored in the arm-rest of the cabinet shape can be kept cooled.
However, in a summer season during the weather is not relatively hot, the vehicle is driven with no activation of the air conditioner, and in this case, the indoor temperature of the vehicle may be raised even though the outdoor temperature is not relatively high, such that the articles in the arm-rest cabinet may be easily warm, thereby making it uncomfortable to drink them.
To the contrary, so as to make the articles in the arm-rest cabinet changed to a low temperature good for drinking, the air conditioner should be activated again, and in this case, fuel consumption may undesirably occur.
Moreover, under the conventional structure, the air conditioner has to be activated all the time for the purpose of maintaining the articles stored in the arm-rest cabinet at a low temperature irrespective of the indoor cooling in summer, thereby undesirably causing a large quantity of fuel consumption.